Fish-clamp



C. A. H. BAHDE.

FISH CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED IUNEZI, 1919.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.l

IIUIIIIIIIIII UNITED STATES CARL A. H. BA1-IDE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

FISH-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application filed June 21, 1919. Serial No. 305,794.

To all whom t may concern.' Y

Be it known that I, CARL A. H. B Annr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fish-Clamps, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, forming apart thereof.

The main object of this invention is to firmly hold fish of variousshapes and sizes in convenient position for scaling and dress- (ltconsists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts ashereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawing like characters designate the same parts inthe several figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a fish clamp embodying the invention asapplied to a table or shelf and closed for scaling or dressing a fish;Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, of the clampand table or shelf on which it is supported 5 Fig. 3 is an end elevationof the clamp as viewed from the left relative to Figs. 1 and 2: and Fig, -t is a cross section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1.

rlhe clamp comprises a supporting plate or member 1, which is preferablymade of sheet metal with upturned sides 2, and a depending or downturnedthrust flange or abutment 3 at one end. This abutment is preferably bentinward, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to hook underneath the edge of a tableor shelf 41, on which the clamp is supported and prevents the abutmentfi'om being tilted upward out of engagement with the table or shelf whenthe clamp is in use. A lip or projection 6, which may be struck from theabutment 3, extends obliquely downward and outward from the middle ofthe plate 1, which is also provided adjacent thereto with a thumb rest7. This thumb rest like the lip 6, may be cut and bent outwardly fromthe sheet metal of the thrust abutment or end flange 3. The .end flangeforming the thrust abutment 3 may be folded inward at the ends as shown,to stiffen and strengthen it and thus admit of the use of comparatively.thin, light sheet metal, in the construction of the clamp. The plate 1is provided between its ends with one or more, preferably two,transverse rows of upwardly projecting jaw teeth 9, which may beeoliveniently struck up as shown.. from the sheet metal, the teeth beingstaggered, with those of one row alternating with those of the otherrow.

A forked arm preferably made of spring wire as shown, and formed withoutwardly projecting fork ends 12 inserted through holes in the upturnedsides 2 of the plate l adjacent the end opposite the abutment Il, isprovided with a transverse jaw 13. T he jaw is preferably made as shown,of sheet metal, with upturned stiffening flanges 1-'1 along the sides,and is provided on the under side with one or more rows of teeth 15, inalinement and alternatirg` with the teeth 9 on the plate 1.

The branches of the forked arm 11 passing through one of the flanges 14of the jaw 13, are preferably bent inward and brought together betweensaid flanges, the double wire passing through a central opening in theother flange. The jaw 13 may be additionally secured on the arm 11against displacement lengthwise of the arm by clips 17 cut from the jaw13 and clasped around the iiiwardly bent portions of the branches of thearm. Adjacent the end opposite its pivot connections with the plate l,the arm 11 is bent downward and provided with a number of ratchet teeth19,. adapted to engage with the lip 6 and hold the jaw 13 in adjustableclamping relation to the plate 1. T he ratchet teeth may be formed asshown. on a piece of sheet` metal 20, folded around the double wire ofthe downwardly bent portion of the arm 1l. At the lower end of thedownward bend of the arm l1 the double wire is formed into a curvedhandle or linger grip 21, which in connection with the thumb rest 7 onthe abutment end of the plate 1. facilitates disengaging the ratchetteeth lf) from the lip 6 and thereby releasing the jaw 13. Adjacent thedownward bend therein` the wire of the arm l1 is formed into an upwardlyprojecting coil 23, which increases the elasticity of the arm and alsofacilitates engagement and disengagement coil 23, which serves also as abearing or handle for pressing the jaw 13 down upon a fish placed belowit on the plate 1, may be provided with a thumb piece 25. Between thecoil 23 and the jaw 13 the double wire forming the arm-11 is preferablyspread as shown in Fig. 1, to more effectively prevent twisting thereofand lateral displacement of the ratchet teeth 19 and handle or fingergrip 21.

To more effectively engage and hold small fish, the plate 1 and jaw 13of the clamp are formed or provided with opposing transverse blades 27and 28:

For use in scaling or dressing fish, the plate 1 is placed on a table orshelf 4, with the fiange or abutment 3 at one end thereof in engagementwith the edge of the table or shelf, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The jaw\13 being raised with the arm 11, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2,the caudal fin of a fish is inserted between the jaw and plate 1, asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The jaw is then turned down withthe arm 11 and forced into engagement with the fish by pressure exertedon the thumb piece 25 or coil 23, one of the ratchet teeth 19, accordingto the size and thickness of the fish, being sprung into engagement withthe lip 6, and thereby locking and holding the jaw in adjusted clampingrelation tothe plate 1. The fish is thus grasped and firmly held inconvenient position on the plate 1 and table or shelf 4, for scaling anddressing, the flange or abutment 3 receiving the thrust exerted inscaling the fish and preventing displacement thereby of the clamp on thetable or shelf.

For scaling and dressing small or thin fish, which mightnot be firmlygrasped and held by the teeth 9 and 15 alone, the opposing blades 27 and28 are effective, the arm 11 being pressed farther down to bring theedges of the blades close together, as shown in Fig. 2.

Various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts maybe made,

without departure from the principle and scope of the invention asdefined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting member provided atone end with a depending thrust abutment having an inward, projection tohook under the edge of a table or shelf, a jaw member pivotallyconnected with the supporting member, and means for releasably andadjustably fastening the aw member in clamping relation to thesupporting member.

2. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting plate having adepending thrust abutment at one end, a forked arm pivotally connectedby its branches with the plate adjacent the end opposite the abutmentand provided at the opposite end with a handle and between its ends witha jaw movable toward and from the plate, and means for releasablyfastening the arm to the plate to hold the jaw in clamping relation tothe plate.

3. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting plate provided at oneend with a thrust abutment, a spring fork arm pivoted at its forked endto opposite sides of the plate and providedwi-th a jaw, and means foradjustably fastening the arm adjacent its other end to the plate to holdthe jaw in clamping relation to the plate.

4. In afish clamp the combination of a supporting plate provided with anupwardly projecting transversely disposed jaw and at one end with athrust abutment, a forked arm pivotally connected at its forked end withthe plate adjacent opposite sides thereof and provided with atransversely disposed jaw arranged to coperate with the jaw on theplate, and means for fastening the arm adjacent its other end to theplate to hold the jaws in clamping relation to each other.

t 5. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting plate provided withan upwardly projecting transversely disposed jaw blade and at one endwith a thrust abutment, a forked arm pivoted at its forked end toopposite sides of the plate and provided with a jaw having atransversely disposed blade arranged to coperate with the blade on theplate, and means for detachably fastening the arm adjacent its other endto the plate to hold the jaw in clamping relation to the plate.

6. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting plate provided at oneend with a thrust abutment, a forked spring-wire arm pivoted at the forkends to the plate at opposite sides thereof and formed with an upwardlybent coil adjacent the other end which is bent downward and providedwith a handle and with ratchet teeth adapted to engage with a projectingpart of the plate, and a jaw connected with the arm transverselythereto.

7. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting plate provided at oneend with a thrust abutment, a forked arm pivoted at the fork ends to theplate at opposite sides thereof, a jaw plate formed on the outer sidetransversely to the supporting plate with flanges through which the forkarm and its branches pass, and means for releasably fastening the arm tothe plate to hold the jaw in clamping position.

8. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting plate having a thrustabutment and thumb piece at one end, a spring arm pivotally connected atone end With the plate and'having a handle at the other end and a ja7arranged to cooperate with the plate, and means comprising ratchet teethand a cooperating projection for holding the jaw n adjustable clampingrelation to the plate, the thumb piece and handle being adjacent eachother and in position when the clamp is closed to be grasped by one handfor springing,` the lever and disengaging the projection and ratchetteeth.

In Witness whereof I hereto altx my signature.

CARL A. H. BA1-IDE.

